


Switched Back

by Miskumi



Category: Switched at Birth (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-11-05 07:40:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 22
Words: 18,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11008947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miskumi/pseuds/Miskumi
Summary: Bay and Daphne were switched at birth. At three years old, Regina and Angelo discovered that Daphne wasn't theirs. What if they notified somebody and tried to get their daughter back? A/U





	1. Switched?

**Author's Note:**

> So this is just a little start to something I've been toying with. Please feel free to let me know what you would like to see, or critique my work. I'm always looking to improve!
> 
> I do not own Switched at Birth or any of the characters.

For a moment it felt like her heart stopped. How could this be? Weren’t there precautions against this kind of thing? What was she going to do now? What could she do? There was only one option that she could see, but that didn’t mean that her partner wouldn’t see another option. She would talk to him. He would clear it all up in a heartbeat, and everything would be alright. She was sure of it. He could make everything better.  
She swept her raven hair back over her shoulder, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Her hand was trembling as she raised it to knock on the door. She was almost afraid her rapping was too light, almost reached out to repeat the gesture. Then she heard the lock released and saw the knob turn.  
“Regina, what are you doing here?” The sultry Italian accent that she had fallen in love with spoke to her, raising her eyes. “Shouldn’t you be at the hospital with Daphne?” She shook her head slowly.  
“She’s sleeping. I need to talk to you.” Her voice was barely there, and trembled.  
“Come to tell me the truth? Decide I needed to know?” He spat.  
“Something like that. Can I come in, Angelo?” Her voice was growing stronger with each word.   
“Yes, yes. Come in I guess.” He stepped aside and Regina followed, stepping gingerly into a dank hotel room. “What do you want, Gina?”  
“I-, I have something that I need to tell you,” She spoke, setting in a well worn chair. Angelo to a spot on the bed, folding his hands and placing them between his knees. “It’s about Daphne.” He looked up at her quickly.  
“So you have come to tell me the truth. You did cheat on me, didn’t you? I already know she isn‘t mine.” Regina could already hear that he was getting angry, and that wasn’t what she needed. She was hurting enough already, and really needed Angelo’s support.  
“Yes, I have come to tell you the truth about Daphne, and no, for the hundredth time I did not sleep around on you. That’s just the thing.” Regina could feel that Angelo was about to snap. His breathing had quickened and his grip on his own hands was turning his knuckles white.  
“Why do you insist on lying to me?” He asked, keeping his voice as steady as he possibly could.  
“I’m not lying Angelo! After you left, the doctor showed me the DNA test you had run. Why couldn’t you come talk to me first?” She accused. “If you suspected she wasn’t yours, why didn’t you say anything?” Angelo shook his head.  
“How could you think that she was yours?” Angelo shot the accusation back at her. “Her hair is so blond, and she has blue eyes, she looks nothing like you! Or me!” He started to raise his voice.  
“That’s just it.” Regina spoke up, trying to catch his attention. “After you left, I had a test of my own run.” She pulled a fold up slip of paper out of her pocket. “She’s not mine either.” Regina unfolded the slip and offered it to him. “I reran the DNA, only with mine, and it came back that she isn’t mine. That little girl sitting in the hospital bed is not Daphne Paloma Vasquez.” Angelo read over the paper as Regina’s lip began to quiver. She felt a tear running down her face.  
“Gina, what does this mean?” He whispered, still trying to make sense of the paper he held in his hand.  
“This means that somebody else has our daughter.” Her voice came out as a faint whisper and she placed her face in her hands. Angelo was immediately at her side, stroking her hair, arm around her shoulders. “Someone else has our Daphne, Angelo!” Regina sobbed, and all Angelo could do was hold her.


	2. The Lawyer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know this is quick. I want to keep the story in chunks, as I'm moving it from one site to here, so I will post a bunch of chapters at once. I hope you enjoy!  
> Again, I do not own Switched or the characters in it.

“Ms. Vasquez, what you are proposing here could be considered slander if you are wrong.” The lawyer spoke, folding his hands on his desk.  
“But I’m not wrong.” She handed him the two slips of paper, showing that the child’s DNA matched neither hers nor Angelo’s. The man behind the desk looked the sheets over, the sighed.   
“If these tests are real, then you may have a real case on your hands. Have you located the other parents?” He asked. Regina shook her head.   
“I don’t even know where or how to start looking.” She spoke.   
“I know a private investigator. I will have him start looking immediately.” The man behind the desk smiled and reached across the desk for Regina’s hand. “We will find your Daphne.”  
“Thank you.” Regina smiled and stood up, gathering her bag.  
“In the mean time, I want you to keep this quiet. If the media gets wind of any of this, they will have a hay day and the hospital will simply offer you a small settlement to keep you quiet.” Regina nodded and turned for the door.  
Angelo was pacing in the lobby. He knew that he couldn’t be calm with a lawyer in this situation. He was already angry. “Daphne” sat in a chair and played quietly with some dolls, looking up at Angelo from time to time and smiling. Every time she did it made his hear ache. How could he have grown so attached to this small blond child? What was going to happen now?  
He looked up towards the hallway when he heard the click of Regina’s heals on the tile. “Daphne” continued to play with her dolls, oblivious to the fact that Regina was returning. Regina placed a hand on the child’s shoulder, who then looked up at her and smiled. It had been some time since they had released “Daphne” from the hospital, and nothing had improved. She was no longer sick, but she had lost her hearing in the process.   
“The lawyer said we may have a case. He is going to have a private detective search for the other family.” Regina told Angelo, not looking at “Daphne”  
“So they are going to find our Daphne?” He asked, hopeful.  
“They are going to try,” She spoke. “He also said not to say anything to anyone. We don’t need word getting to the hospital, just yet.” Regina reached down and took the child’s hand, urging her to stand and leading her out the door.  
“What are we going to do if they can’t find her?” Angelo asked.  
“Raise this child as best as we can, I guess. Treat her no different then if she was our own.” Regina sighed. She hoped that it wouldn’t end up that way, but part of her was afraid that it would.

“Daphne” was asleep when the phone rang. Regina dried her hands on a towel, picking up the receiver. She simply listened as the person on the other end of the line spoke, then hung up. Walking slowly, almost in a daze, she peeked in on “Daphne”, who was sleeping soundly, curled up with her stuffed rabbit.  
“Are they sure?” Angelo asked when Regina relayed what she had learned. “Daphne” was playing in her bedroom as they talked.   
“They are pretty for sure. They want us to come and meet with them, and decide on the next course of action.”   
“Did you make an appointment?” He almost seem excited for what was happening, and terrified at the same time.  
“I did. It’s in about a half hour, did you want to come with me?” Regina looked back towards “Daphne’s” room. Angelo simply nodded. “I’ll get her ready then.” Regina walked back to the child’s room and got her attention, then prepared her for the trip to the office. It was slow learning to sign with her and get her to understand, but “Daphne” was bright. She would have it in no time.


	3. Found

“John and Kathryn Kennish.” The lawyer passed a picture over to Regina and Angleo. The picture showed a blond man and woman, accompanied by a boy of about six or seven. In the arms of the woman sat a little three year old girl with ebony hair, brown eyes, and Angelo’s nose.  
“Our Daphne!” Regina’s hand shot up to her mouth as she stiffled a sob.  
“Wait a minute, John Kennish? The Baseball star?” Angelo asked the man in the suit.  
“The very same.” He replied. “The girl’s name is Bay, the boy is Toby.”  
“Do they have any idea?” He shook his head. “So they think Bay is theirs?” Regina couldn’t believe it. How could two people with such blond hair believe that such a fair skinned, dark haired child was theirs?   
“Have you contacted them?” Angelo asked.  
“Not yet,” the lawyer replied. “That is what we need to discuss. Obviously the Kennish name is well known. They aren’t going to want this to get out. That is going to make a lawsuit a little difficult.” Regina looked up.  
“What do you mean?” She asked. “Do you think they will give Daphne back?”  
“We aren’t sure. We haven’t decided if we should send them a letter, get in touch through a lawyer, or meet with them face to face.” Angelo took Regina’s hand.  
“I think face to face would work better. Through their lawyer.” He replied. Regina nodded. “I will be in touch.”


	4. The Kennishs

“What are they saying? Bay isn’t ours?” Kathryn looked to John, then to their lawyer Amanda.  
“Mr. Gray said they have DNA proof that they have your daughter. The little girl you have was born Daphne Paloma Vasquez. They have your Bay.” A tear slipped down Kathryn’s cheek.   
“How did this happen, John? Don’t they keep track of these things?!” She was becoming hysterical.  
“Calm down, Kathryn. These people want to talk.” Amanda spoke, reaching across her desk. “They want to discuss an exchange, and possible lawsuit against the hospital responsible.” John and Kathryn looked at each other, then back to Amanda.  
“Let’s meet with them.” John spoke, taking his wife’s hand. “I want my daughter.”  
“What about Bay, John?” Kathryn spoke.  
“We are going to get Bay back.” He assured her, squeezing her hand. Amanda smiled.   
“I’ll set up the meeting.”

John was quiet on the drive home, lost in thought. Kathryn’s mind was running a hundred miles an hour. For three years they believed that this little dark haired girl was their Bay. They believed that it was a recessive gene showing through. But looking at it now, she looked nothing like either of them. She showed an interest in art, and they were a family full of sports stars. Kathryn didn’t have an artistic bone in her body.  
“Oh John, how could this have happened?” She finally spoke, looking at her husband.   
“I’m not sure, Kathryn.”  
“Don’t the doctors and nurses watch the babies or something? I mean, my Bay, being raised by somebody else.”  
“But we have their child, too.” He shook his head. His thoughts were all over the board. This little girl belonged in someone else’s hands. What kind of people were these? Were the wealthy like them? Or were they poor? Did they live on the street? Do drugs? Alcoholics? They could be anyone. Or they could simply be after money. John was terrified, horrified to think of the kinds of people who could have their daughter.   
“What if they are wrong John? What if this little girl they say is our Bay isn’t?  
“We can have a test run first.” He assured her. “For now, I wouldn’t worry about it.”  
“What are we going to tell Toby?”


	5. Worried

Kathryn made both children a snack as soon as the sitter was paid and left, then returned to the living room. Bay followed her, carrying her cup of milk carefully, not wanting to spill on her dress. Kathryn turned a cartoon on and watched as Bay ate and drank, happily taking in the show. Kathryn tried to hide what she was feeling. She tried to hide her fear that this would be one of the last few moments she had with Bay. This other little girl wouldn’t know her, and they would have to start all over again.  
Of course she would send Bay with all of her things. She wouldn’t deny her what belonged to her. She would start new with the other child. All new dresses and toys. She would replace everything that Bay took with her.   
But she was getting ahead of herself already. She didn’t even know if this child was really hers. What if these people really only wanted money out of them and were lying about Bay not being theirs? The thought consumed her. There was a reasonable explination as to why Bay was so fair skinned and dark haired. Of course Toby got all recessive genes, the blond hair, the light eyes. There was someone in their family lines that carried the genes that Bay received.   
“Kathryn,” She jumped at the sound of John’s voice. Bay had finished her food and gone off to the play room, having grown bored with the cartoon quickly. Her husband sat beside her. “What’s on your mind?”  
“I’m just thinking about Bay.” She closed her eyes, hanging her head. “I still don’t understand how someone can say she isn’t ours. I mean, wasn’t your great great grandfather Italian or something like that?” Kathryn asked hopefully.  
“Maybe this is just someone trying to get money, Kathryn.” He sounded just as hopeful, but in his heart he knew it wasn’t true. There were so few dark haired people on his side of the family, she couldn’t have gotten it from him.  
“I mean, we haven’t even seen a picture of this child they claim is our Bay.” Kathryn was becoming more and more agitated. “We have our Bay. We have our little girl already! She is upstairs playing with her brother.” John took her hand.  
“We are just going to meet with these people, Kathryn. If they are after nothing more then money, then we can stop it. Nip it in the bud now. All it would take is a simple DNA test to prove Bay is ours.” Kathryn looked up at her husband suddenly.  
“So lets go and get it done.”  
“What?” He was confused.  
“Lets take Bay and get her tested. That way we have the test results in hand. We can prove to them that Bay is ours and get them to leave us alone. Go back to living our lives.” Kathryn started to sound hopeful again.  
“Slow down, Kathryn. Let’s meet with them first. We will clear it up in due time.” Her chin fell to her chest.  
“I just want it to be over. Now.”


	6. The Meeting

Angelo paced the floor in front of the window. They were still waiting for the Kennishs to show up. Regina sat, ringing her hands, her foot tapping nervously. She had no idea if they were going to bring Bay with them, or if they even believed that their daughter was living with somebody else. Daphne had been left with Regina’s mother, after a heated debate between Angelo and Regina.   
All movement in the room stopped when they heard a tap at the door. That had to be the Kennishs. Mr. Gray stood and slowly pulled the door open, and two well dressed women and a man in the suit stood on the other side. The trio stepped inside, and Mr. Gray offered them all seats. Regina and Angelo joined hands, even more nervous now that they were about to face the people who had their daughter.  
“I assume that your lawyer has filled you in on why we are all here today?” Mr. Gray started as he took his seat behind the desk.  
“Yes. You believe we have your daughter.” Kathryn spoke curtly.  
“We have the DNA tests.” Regina looked quickly from Kathryn to Mr. Gray. “We know that the child we have been raising for the last three years isn’t ours.” Mr. Gray nodded.  
“And what makes you think that our daughter is yours?” John spoke.   
“The research has been done. These two girls, Daphne Vasquez and Bay Kennish, were born on the same day, released on the same day.” Mr. Gray replied.  
“That proves nothing.” Amanda waved her hand. She looked at the Kennishs. “Bay carries recessive genes from John’s family, which explains why she has so few similarities to either parent.” The lawyer sounded so sure of herself as she spoke, and Angelo started to get nervous.   
“Have you done a DNA test on her?” Regina spoke quickly.  
“Of course not! Why would we subject our daughter to that, just to get the answer that we already know?” Kathryn snapped.  
“How do you know that the genes are recessive then?” Regina returned with an equal amount of venom.   
“Ladies, please. We are here to talk civilly.” Mr. Gray interjected. “We have a little situation that needs to be resolved, and the quicker the better.”   
“What do you want from us, Mr. Gray?” Amanda spoke before her clients could respond.  
“Well, we have the DNA swabs from Daphne still. All we would need is a sample of DNA from one or both of your clients to compare to the child’s.” He was calm, almost as if his proposal was something that happened every day.  
“Definatly not!” John spoke finally. “I will not put my wife through that. You have already put her through enough by simply suggesting that our child isn’t ours. She hasn’t slept in almost a week thinking about it.”  
“I’m sorry, Mr. Kennish, but this would be the quickest and easiest way to clear it all up. You give us a sample, we run the DNA, and if it comes back negative, we go back to square one. But if it matches-”  
“If it matches, what then? Do you want us to take the child? Because we will.” Kathryn spoke.  
“If it matches, we will then ask for a sample swab from Bay, to compare with Ms. Vasquez and Mr. Sorrento.”  
“No no no. It’s not happening.” John stood up quickly. “We won’t put Bay through that!”  
“It’s not a blood draw. It’s a cotton swab inside the cheek, that’s all.” Mr. Gray tried to calm with his words. Kathryn placed her hand on her husband’s arm.   
“Maybe we should do what they ask, John.” Regina smiled. Maybe this all would work out for the best and they would get their child back. John sighed.  
“If this is what you want to do, Kathryn, then so be it.” He sat beside his wife. “But how can we be sure that the samples aren’t tampered with?”  
“You will simply go to the hospital, have the swab taken by a technician there, and we will put the order through for the test. The sample will be handled only by hospital employees, and we will contact you when the results come back.” Mr. Gray explained. John looked at the floor, then back to Amanda. Kathryn squeezed his hand.  
“Alright. I’ll go straight there.”  
“I will too.” Kathryn added. “The more samples, the better, right?” Mr. Gray nodded.  
“I will place the call to the lab and let them know you are coming and what needs to be done.” Amanda and the Kennishs stood.  
“Thank you for your time.” Amanda offered a hand to Mr. Gray, who took it quickly, smiling. “We look forward to your call.”


	7. News

John and Kathryn waited nervously for the phone call.  They should have heard back by now.  Kathryn felt like she was losing her mind and couldn’t sit still.  She paced the office continually, ignoring anything that wasn’t a phone ringing. 

“What if they lost the sample?” She asked her husband.

“Relax, Kathryn, the didn’t lose the sample.  The lab may be backed up.”  John spoke, trying to calm his wife. 

“They told us today, John.  It has been a week.”  Every word she spoke, every moment the phone didn’t ring, she grew more and more agitated.

“They said it could take up to two weeks.”  He continued to try and calm his wife, but he knew that his efforts were futile.  She finally sat, placing her face in her hands.  After releasing her breath, Kathryn looked up at her husband sadly.  She opened her mouth to speak and was interrupted by the phone ringing.  Kathryn jumped up and John picked up the receiver.

“Hello?  Yes, this is John Kennish.  Yes.  It did.  Okay, thank you.”  He hung up the receiver, sighing before he looked back at his wife.

“Well?  Who was it?  What did they say?”  Kathryn leaned against his desk.

“It was the lab.  The test results came back,”  He dropped his eyes from hers.  “They don’t match.”

“What does that mean, John?”  Her agitation was showing in her voice again.

“Bay isn’t ours.”

 

“What do we do now?”  Kathryn looked at her husband, then to their lawyer. 

“Well, we can talk to Regina and Angelo.  Set up a meeting with their lawyer and see where they stand, what they want to do.”  Amanda suggested. 

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if you want to, we can see if they want to switch the girls back.  I don’t know if there would be any paperwork to file, or if you could just, switch them.  But then we could look into a lawsuit against the hospital and the nurses in charge.  Make them take responsibility for what has happened.”

“What about the media?  This will make the news, won’t it?”  John spoke up.  Amanda nodded.

“Unfortunately, yes it will.  It will take a while to get a closed door on the case, but initially it will be in the news.”  Amanda spoke, placing her hands on the desk. 

“We can’t let this blow up.”  Kathryn spoke.

“Well, we can talk to Regina and Angelo.  Set up a meeting with Mr. Gray again, to discuss.  There is a possibility that the hospital will want to settle, that would keep it out of the media.  There would be a brief story, and then it would die down.  We could only hope for that.”  Amanda suggested.  Kathryn hung her head.

“I don’t know.  We have had Bay for three years now.  It doesn’t matter that she isn’t biologically related to us.  She is our daughter.”  She looked at her husband.

“Our daughter lives in the ghetto, Kathryn.  Daphne is our daughter.”  John put his hand over his wife’s.

“Do you really want to put the girls through that, though?  I mean, they won’t understand!  They are just babies.”  Kathryn’s voice was starting to fill with sobs.  “How would we explain to a three year old that they have to go and live with someone they don’t even know?  That you don’t want them?” 

“We can set up a councilor for Daphne.  They can help her understand.”  John suggested.

“What about Bay?”  Kathryn spoke.  “Are you going to stop caring about her just because she doesn’t live with us anymore?”  Her fear and hurt was turning into anger.

“I didn’t say that Kathryn.  Bay will always have a place in my heart.  It’s just, I want my own daughter back.  My flesh and blood.”  John replied.  He looked over at Amanda.  “If we switch the girls back, will we still get to have contact with Bay?”

“That will be up to the other parents.”  Amanda replied.  “They could decide that they want to keep Daphne in their life, they could decide that would be too hard for them.  We would just have to talk to them.”  She tightened her lips and shook her head.

“When can we meet with them then?”  John asked before his wife had a chance to speak. 

“I will call Mr. Gray and set up the appointment.  I will be in touch.”  She stood, offering a hand to her clients.  John shook the offered hand, then offered his own to his wife. 

“Let’s go home Kathryn.  We still have children to care for.”  She looked up at him, took his hand, and stood.  “Thank you Amanda.”


	8. First Attempt

“No! No! Absolutely not!”  Angelo stomped his foot on the floor.  “I will not have it!  I will not allow you to further corrupt my child!”  Angelo yelled and pointed a finger in John’s face.

“Corrupt your child?!  We have done nothing but care for this child and give her the best of everything since she came to live with us!”  John stood, chesting up to Angelo. 

“She is spoiled!  I bet she doesn’t even know how to do anything for herself!”

“What are you implying here?  That we treat her like an invalid?”  John’s face started to turn red.

“Well, yes!”  Angelo spoke, glaring at the other man.  “She probably has her own set of servants who do everything for her!”  Regina reached up and put her hand on Angelo’s arm.

“Angelo, please.”  He looked at her.  “Let them speak.  You are casting judgement on people you don’t even know.”

“Look at them!”  He growled.  “Sitting there in their Italian suits.  She won’t want to come home with us.  She is too used to being spoiled and waited on that she will be intolerable.”  Regina looked up at him.

“You don’t know that!  We haven’t even met this child, have we?”  She spoke, trying to be sensible. 

“Are you willing to risk it?”  He spoke through his teeth. 

“Why don’t we give it a trial run?”  Kathryn spoke up.  “We can trade children for a week, and see how it goes.  At that point, we could decide if they are better off where they are, or where they were.  We can also decide on visitation.”  She looked from her husband to Angelo and Regina, then to their lawyers.  “Can we do that?”  Amanda and Mr. Gray looked at each other, then to their clients.

“I don’t see why not.”  Amanda spoke and Mr. Gray nodded.  “You could swap the girls for a week, then we can decide.”

“The school year is almost over.  We will swap the first week of summer.”  Kathryn spoke.  “We can meet right out front of this office, swap the girls, and meet back in one week.”  She smiled and nodded encouragingly.

“Fine.  Do we need to send anything?  Her clothes?”  Regina agreed.

“Only what she will need for a week.  Anything you think she can’t live without for a week.”  Kathryn’s mood brightened. 

“Okay, it sounds like we have an agreement.”  Mr. Gray smiled.  “So we will make an appointment for the first week in June?”  He asked Amanda.  She nodded.

“Deffinatly.”  She looked at the schedule on her desk.  “How about the fifth?”  Mr. Gray nodded, followed by Regina and the Kennishs, and Angelo reluctantly.  “Thank you all for coming.  I look forward to meeting with you again.” 


	9. Test

The week of the switch came faster then either family expected.  The Kennish’s packed Bay only with enough play clothes for the week.  They were pretty sure that Daphne’s toys would be available for her to play.  Angelo and Regina packed the nicest things that Daphne owned, worried that John and Kathryn would feel they were too poor to take care of any child.  They sat, silent and terrified, in front of Amanda’s office waiting for John and Kathryn to show up.  They did, right on the nose of the agreed upon time, driving a Mercedes. 

“What did I tell you, Regina?  Now Daphne isn’t going to want to come home.”  Angelo growled. 

“Just wait.  We will see how this plays out.”  She spoke softly.  Daphne sat in the back seat, confused. 

They had tried to explain what was going on.  They told her that she was going to go and stay with some friends and that their daughter was coming to stay at their house.  They told her that she would have lots of nice toys to play with, and lots of room to play in.  She was still confused.  Since she had been released from the hospital, they had had a lot of trouble communicating.  Daphne had gone deaf.

John and Kathryn nosed their car up to Angelo and Regina.  Bay sat in the back seat, happily playing with her favorite doll.  She had been told the same story.  Bay wasn’t nearly as confused as Daphne was, and it was just like staying with Grandma, only Toby wasn’t coming with.  Kathryn looked at her husband, biting her lip. 

“Are you really sure you want to do this?”  She asked him, then looked back at the other car.

“This was your idea, Kathryn.”  He reminded her.  She glanced back over her shoulder at Bay. 

“Is that car really going to be safe for her?  We could offer to give Bay a ride to their house.”

“Kathryn, she will be fine.”  John assured her, then turned off the engine and unfastened his seat belt.  Kathryn sighed.

“Let’s get this over with then.”  She unfastened her own belt, then turned and looked at Bay.  “Are you ready?”  The child nodded, and Kathryn exited the car, opening the rear door to remove the ebony haired baby from her safety seat.  John had retrieved her suitcase from the trunk, and started to approach the awaiting couple.

“Hello, Kathryn.”  Regina smiled, assisting Daphne from her safety seat.  The blond stood in her Sunday best, a bright yellow dress with lace around the neck and sleeves, Mary-Jane style shoes over white tights. 

“Hi, Regina.”  The women shook hands, and Angelo glared at John.

“This is Daphne.”  Regina looked down at the little blond my her side.

“Hello Daphne,” John spoke to her, and she didn’t respond.  He looked up at Angelo and frowned.

“She’s deaf.”  Angelo spoke bluntly.

“She’s what?”  Kathryn looked from Regina to Angelo.  “Since when?”  Regina sighed.

“That’s how we found out she wasn’t ours.”  Regina admitted, looking at the ground.  “She got really sick.  Meningitus.  They told us that the course of antibiotics they were going to put her on could cause this.”  Kathryn was speechless.

“How do you communicate with her?”  John spoke.

“We are trying to learn sign language.”  Angelo replied.  “It’s not easy, and she gets frustrated quickly.  But we are trying.”  Daphne finally looked up.

“This is Bay.”  Kathryn spoke quickly as Regina looked at the dark-haired child.  Bay took one look at Regina, then hid her face in Kathryn’s shoulder.  “Don’t be afraid, honey.  These are our friends, Regina and Angelo.”  Bay continued to hide. 

“Don’t be rude now honey, say hello.”  John directed, and Bay looked up.  She waved shyly, and Regina smiled.  Tapping Daphne on the shoulder, Angelo pointed at John and Kathryn.  Daphne waved just as shyly as Bay did, then looked back at Angelo. 

“These are our friends.”  He spoke slowly, hoping that Daphne would catch on.  “Kathryn and John.”  Daphne looked back at them, confused.

“It will take some time.  Just speak slow and make sure she can see your lips.”  Regina advised, stepping forward to take Bay.  “Come here honey.”  She reached for her, and Bay screamed.  Kathryn looked at John.

“Bay honey, we talked about this.”  He spoke softly to the now sobbing child.  “You are going to go and stay with Regina and Angelo for a few days.”  Bay looked up at him with tear filled eyes.

“Wanna go home.”  She replied, hiding her face back in Kathryn’s shoulder.

“I know sweetie, but you need to go with Regina and Angelo now.”  John and Kathryn both worked to separate Bay from Kathryn’s shoulder, handing her to Regina.  Bay struggled, kicking and flailing her fists.  John took Bay’s suitcase to the car, retrieving Daphne’s.  Kathryn reached for the blond child’s hand.

“Looks like we are in for a bit of a fight.”  Angelo spoke, then looked down at Daphne.  “It’s okay.  You can go with Kathryn.”  Daphne took Kathryn’s hand slowly, and Angelo stood.

“Be a good girl now, Bay.”  Kathryn spoke, trying to keep her voice from breaking.

“Momma!”  Bay cried and tried to throw herself out of Regina’s arms.  Kathryn had to turn away.

“It’s alright Bay.  Everything will be fine.”  John assured her.   He then looked at Regina.  “You had better go.  The longer this takes, the harder it’s going to be.”  “Daddy loves you, Bay honey.  We will see you soon!” 

Regina turned and walked back to the car, quickly securing Bay into Daphne’s car seat, then climbing behind the wheel.  Angelo nodded at John, returning to the driver’s seat and stating the vehicle.  John followed suit, watching as Regina and Angelo drove away, Bay crying in the back seat.  Daphne, on the other hand, sat in the back, confused, scared, and quiet.


	10. The Ride

The drive home was deathly silent in the Kennish car.  Kathryn’s tears had stopped, though she still had no words.  John was deep in thought, driving carefully and cautiously.  Every once in a while, he glanced in his mirror, checking on Daphne.

The child sat in silence, tears running down her face.  God only knew what was running through her head, and John could say nothing to comfort her.  Daphne looked in one direction only, and that was out the window, hoping to see something familiar. 

The farther from the meeting place and closer to the Kennish house they moved, the more Daphne squirmed in her seat.  She began looking more and more agitated, and suddenly she screamed.  Kathryn jumped, her hand fluttering to her throat, and John hit the brakes.  Pulling over to the side of the road, they both looked back at the strawberry blonde in the back seat, who was pulling on the door handle and the buckles to her car seat.

The sight renewed Katheryn’s tears, and she hid her face behind her hands.  What were they doing?  This child belonged to Angelo and Regina.  There was no way that this was going to work, that they were going to be able to get their daughter, the true Bay back.

John leaned over and hugged his wife, kissing the top of her head.  “It will all be okay, Kathryn.  She just needs some time to adjust, okay?”   Shifting back into gear, John pulled back into traffic, the sniffles and sobs issuing from the back seat mirroring those from the seat beside him.

 

Toby was waiting in the living room, peeking out the window.  When he saw the car pull in, he ran towards the door in the kitchen, giggling and clapping his hands.  He stopped short, looking up at his mom confused when he saw the little strawberry blonde girl in her arms.  John leaned down and picked up his son, placing him securely on one hip. 

“Toby, this is Daphne.”  John pointed to the small girl who looked terrified.  “She is your sister.”  Toby looked between his parents confused.

“Where’s Bay?”  He asked, glaring at the little girl.  “Where’s my sister?”  Kathryn looked at her husband, a slight quiver in her lower lip.

“John…” She whispered, adjusting Daphne’s weight.

“No, Kathryn, everything is fine.”  He turned to his son.  “Bay is with her other mommy and daddy.  Daphne is your sister.”  Toby shook his head and pushed away from John.  As soon as his feet were on the ground, he ran off, up to his playroom screaming “No no no” The whole way.

“John, this is a disaster.”  Kathryn set Daphne in Bay’s high chair.  “Toby is already unhappy, he doesn’t understand.”

“We just got home Kathryn.  He will understand, it will just take some time.”  She sat in a chair at the kitchen table.

“Maybe we should just call Angelo and Regina, get Bay back.”  John crouched in front of her.  “I don’t think this was such a good idea.”

“No Kathryn.  Give it a couple of days.  Things will get easier.  Look, Daphne is already adjusting.”  The toddler was dozing in the high chair, making Kathryn jump up.

“Did Regina send a blanket?  A lovey?  Something?”  John stepped back out to the car, bringing the small suitcase back.  He placed it on the counter, popped it open and sifted through the contents. 

“Here, Look.  A blanket.”  He pulled it out as Kathryn picked up the dozing toddler.  “Lets get her up to Bay’s room.”  His wife nodded, heading towards the stairs. 

“Hush now little one, everything will be alright.”  Kathryn cooed as she carried Daphne to the bed.  She didn’t even think about the fact that she wasn’t heard.  Having Daphne on her shoulder, while odd, felt right.

“SHe is already asleep.”  John whispered softly as his wife placed the toddler into the crib.  John placed the blanket over her and stood back, placing an arm around his wife.  Kathryn stood, looking down on the toddler. 

“She is so beautiful.”  She spoke, resting her arms on the crib rail.  “I wonder if she always slept this easy.”  John squeezed her shoulders and kissed her temple. 

“I get the feeling we will have plenty of time to find out.”  He spoke tugging on her gently.  “Come on, let Daphne sleep.


	11. Adjustment

“Look at these clothes, Gina.  These are designer labels.”  Angelo stood with one hand on his hip, the other on his temple.  Regina looked over his shoulder.

“My god, Angelo.  Who are these people?”  She asked.  “First they send a lawyer to contact us and tell us that they had our daughter, and then this?  They couldn’t go to shop at like Wal-Mart, or-”

“Gina, stop.  At least they contacted us.  They could have kept her.”  He turned, placing his hands on her arms, rubbing up and down.  “Just look at it that way.”  Angelo smiled at her, that smile that made her heart melt.

The ride home had been rough.  Bay had thrown her shoes at the back of Angelo’s head, almost causing an accident, and screamed the whole time.  When they arrived at the house, she had tried to run down the street, trying to do anything to get away from Regina and Angelo.  Once inside, she hid behind the couch, staying there until she fell asleep.  The pair decided to simply leave her there.

“I need to go wash Daphne’s sheets.”  Regina looked away, not wanting to talk about it anymore.  She didn’t want to remember that the child hiding behind the couch had been denied knowledge of them for the last three years, and that she had a better life without them, not right now.  She needed to enjoy the time she had with Bay while she had it.

Angelo nodded, stepping back.  “I will keep an eye on her.”  Regina smiled weakly, heading for the bedroom.

Looking around, everything reminded her of Daphne.  The pink ruffled dresses, the pale pink walls.  Regina pulled the sheets and blanket from the bed, the soft purple polka dots draped over her arm, and looked around the room again.  She saw the music box setting on the dresser.  Daphne would never hear that music again.  Dropping the bedclothes on the floor, Regina wound the key, opening the lid and letting the dancer spin.

“Gina,”  Angelo stood in the doorway watching her.  She looked up, tears in her brown eyes.  “Gina what is it?”

“Daphne will never hear this music again, or your voice, or mine, or my mothers.”  She sucked in a trembling breath.  “How are we supposed to deal with that?”  Angelo smiled, sitting down beside her, closing the lid on the music box.

“We learn.  She is young still.  We can take classes and learn sign language.  This changes nothing, Regina.”  He placed a hand on her cheek. 

“But that doesn’t change the fact that she isn’t ours, that she can’t hear.”   Regina sobbed.

“Why don’t we worry about this later, see where things go from there.”  Angelo leaned in and kissed her, silencing any protests that tried to flow from her lips.  She fluttered her lashes as he pulled away, looking at him.  “There now, lets get some laundry going, get Bay settled in before she wakes up.  We will try again.”  He stood, offering her a hand to stand, then bending and picking up the purple sheets.  “Daphne loves these sheets.”  Angelo spoke with a crooked smile, looking up at Regina.  She took his hand, walking to the mudroom. 

 

Bay hid behind the couch after she woke up, not making a noise.  Angelo pulled out his guitar, strumming a few chords idly.  Regina put a casserole in the oven, then moved to the easel she had sitting up in the corner, tying a smock around her waist.  Bay crawled to the other end of the couch, peeking out to watch what the woman was doing as she picked up her brush and tray.

A voice joined into the strumming, soft, melodic, and almost hypnotic.  The brush strokes seemed to join into the melody, her hips swaying as she danced while Angelo played.  Bay took a couple steps out from behind the couch, looking over at Angelo.  The French Italian’s eyes were closed as he sang softly and sweetly.  She glanced at Regina, watching her apply the paint to the canvas.  She took another step out.  Angelo parted one eye slightly, watching the toddler’s progress.

Eventually he stopped singing, but Regina continued to paint.  Suddenly she felt a small hand on the leg of her pants.  She turned and looked down, smiling at Bay.

“Up.”  The toddler spoke, reaching out for Regina.  Happily she was lifted up, looking more evenly at the canvas. 

“Do you want to try?”  Regina asked Bay softly.  The toddler turned to look at her.  Angelo was already prepared, throwing an old work shirt over Bay’s head, and switching out the canvas Regina had been working on for a fresh one.  Regina handed a brush to the toddler and lifted the palate. 

“Like this,”  Angelo spoke, taking Bay’s arm, dipping the brush into the paint, and guiding her in a stroke.  Bay looked almost surprised at the red mark on the white canvas, tipping her head to the side.  Taking the brush again, she made another stroke, then another, giggling.  Regina looked up at Angelo, shock and awe washing over her face.

“Angelo, are you seeing this?”  He nodded.

“Yes Gina, I do.”  Bay let out a giggle, dipping the brush into a different color and making more marks.  “I’ll be right back.”  He whispered into her ear, stepping away.   He returned, bringing with him a stool with a back.  “Sit her here, Gina.  Let her have at it.”  Regina nodded, placing the toddler on the stool, pulling the art table closer so that she could reach the paints.

Angelo wrapped his arm around Regina’s waist as they stepped back, watching Bay paint on the canvas.  “You should probably go and see to dinner.”  He whispered, kissing her cheek.  “I will watch her.”  She nodded, stepping to the kitchen to finish the meal and set the table.

By the time the meal was ready, Bay’s shirt was covered in paint.  Easing the brush out of her hand, Angelo pulled the shirt off her, wiping her hands with a warm rag.  “It looks beautiful, Bay.”  He kissed her cheek.  “Now it’s time for some dinner.”  She looked from the canvas to him, and didn’t seem to want to move.  Regina smiled as Angelo lifted Bay up, taking her and setting her into Daphne’s booster.

Regina served the trio, sitting with Bay between them.  The toddler simply looked at the plate, not sure of what to think about what was before her.  Angelo grinned and picked up his fork, digging in.  “Here, Bay, you will like it.”  He stabbed up a bite on his fork, offering it to her.  Looking over it for a moment, she took a small taste, pulling back as if surprised.  “Good, no?”  Angelo asked sweetly.  Bay picked up her fork and happily ate.


	12. Partially Acclimated

After two days, Daphne had adjusted well.  The communication was still hard, she spent a lot of time screaming, trying to speak louder than was really needed.  After watching John and Kathryn cover their ears as they did, she eventually stayed silent.  Toby began to warm up to Daphne, even spending some time playing with her in the playroom he usually shared with Bay.

“Look at them,” Kathryn whispered from the doorway.  “They just look so natural.”  She smiled, leaning her head against the frame.

“Yes, they do.”  She turned to face her husband. 

“So now what do we do?”  John looked at her, smiling softly.

“We wait.  Angelo and Regina will meet up with us in Amanda’s office to get Daphne back, we can discuss it then.  Until then, let them play.”  He nodded towards the children, taking his wife by the hand.  “Let’s see to lunch.  After, maybe we can take them to the park.”

 

Angelo stood back.  Lined up against the walls, were four canvases, all covered in random paint, both brush and finger strokes.  Bay sat at the table, banging on a drum set before her, squealing in delight.  He turned and looked back at the toddler, shaking his head.  There was no doubt in his mind that this was his and Regina’s daughter.

“Lunch time, Bay.”  He spoke, has accent rolling the name off his tongue.  The toddler looked up at him and smiled. 

“Up.”  She spoke, lifting her arms for him to lift her.  Angelo lifted the toddler in one arm, taking the drum in the other.  He smiled at her, nuzzling her cheek with his nose.  Bay giggled, hiding her cheek in her shoulder and smiling at Angelo.  He recognized that smile, and he loved it so much more seeing it on the toddlers face.  He felt more secure, more comfortable in their lives now that they had their daughter, but something was still not right.  He missed Daphne.

“Let’s go take mommy some lunch, alright?”  Angelo spoke with a smile, setting the drum back on the shelf near his guitar.  Bay clapped her hands excitedly and giggled. Angelo beamed.  He had seen such a change in Bay, she had opened up to them, accepted them.  It was like his family was whole again, and he was no longer questioning his relationship with Regina.

He placed the toddler in the safety seat, buckling her in and slipping behind the wheel.  He placed the picnic basket on the passenger seat, pulling away from the curb and heading for the salon.


	13. Returned

The week ended faster than either family could have expected.  John and Kathryn sat in Amanda’s office, waiting for Angelo, Regina, and Mister Gray.  Daphne sat on Kathryn’s lap, the stick of a lollipop in the corner of her mouth, dressed in a new denim skirt jumper and pink tee shirt.  She seemed happy enough to be in Kathryn’s lap, only squirming to adjust for comfort. 

The three adults looked up quickly as a knock came at the door and it was pushed open by Mr. Gray.  The lawyer stepped through, followed by Regina, and Angelo with Bay on his hip.  “Daddy!”  The toddler squealed, wiggling until Angelo set her on the floor, and the dark haired child ran over to John and crawled into his lap.

“Hello Princess.”  John smiled, kissing the top of her head as she wrapped her arms around him as best she could.  Regina crouched in front of Daphne, waving to get the girls attention, who then smiled and wrapped her arms around Regina’s neck.  The dark haired woman stood, wrapping her arms around the child and holding her tight.

“Well, I’m glad to see that we all made it in one piece.”  Mr. Gray started, taking a seat near Amanda.

“Well, how did the switch go?”  Amanda asked.

“I missed Bay.”  Kathryn smiled, looking at the dark, curly haired girl on John’s lap.  “Looks like she missed you, John.”  Bay hadn’t moved, her head was resting on his chest, though her eyes were locked on Angelo’s.

“I think it went well.”  Angelo spoke, not taking his eyes from Bay’s.

“Great.”  Amanda clapped her hands together.  “Now, we have to decide how we are going to handle this situation.”

“Handle the situation?”  Regina questioned, looking between the two lawyers, then to John and Kathryn.  “What is that supposed to mean?”  She asked.

“Well obviously we are going to go after the hospital.  Mr. Gray and I agree that a lawsuit against the hospital is the first course of action.  The next question is, do we switch the girls back, file the paperwork to have custody placed back with the biological parents, do we do a joint custody agreement that the girls go back to the biological parents for part of the time, or do we leave it as is?”  Kathryn met Regina’s eyes.

“Can we decide that at a later time?  I mean, don’t you think that the lawsuit against the hospital is enough for now?”  John asked, sensing the tension and worry in his wife.

“Of course,” Mr. Gray jumped in.  “We don’t want to rush anything, or stress anyone out.  You should also discuss it among the two sets of parents, as it affects you all.”

Regina and Kathryn exchanged glances, both worried.  What was this to mean for the children?  Obviously there was something not right with this situation.  The hospital had switched the girls, sent them home with the wrong parents.  But what were they going to do about it?  Could the uproot the lives of two small girls and start over, learning their likes, their dislikes, their allergies?  Kathryn looked away suddenly as a tear slipped down her cheek.

“We will be in touch.”  Amanda stood, prompting a move from John and Kathryn, gathering Bay and her suitcase and heading for the door.

 

“I don’t want to give her up.”  Kathryn spoke as the slipped into the car.

“Who?”  John looked at her confused.

“Bay.  She is our daughter, John.  Daphne is beautiful, and I want her to be in our lives, but I don’t want to give up our Bay.”  He nodded.

“I agree.  I can’t see giving her up.  Maybe we could work visitation out, offer to help them move closer.”  He spoke his thinking out loud.

“What if they don’t want to move?  Then we lose Daphne, too?”  John looked back over his shoulder at Bay, playing happily in the back seat.

“We can’t force them to move, and we can’t force them to let us see her.”  Kathryn looked almost terrified.

“But we can’t ask them to switch the girls back, can we?” 

“And risk losing Bay?”  He chewed on his lip.

“Either way, we lose.”  Kathryn spoke, hanging her head and sobbing into her hands.

 

“Now what do we do?”  Regina asked weakly, fastening Daphne back into her seat. 

“That is a good question.”  Angelo replied, slipping behind the wheel.  His mind was racing.  He missed Bay, her smile and laugh, her love of art, but he was also overjoyed to have Daphne back in their care. 

“Do we switch them back?”  She asked, slipping in beside him.  “We could ask for visitation with Daphne, stay in her life, and have our daughter back with us.”

“Daphne is our daughter,” Angelo stated.  “But I can’t let Bay go.”

“So what do we do?”  They both looked back at Daphne, who was snuggling into her seat, ready to drift off to sleep.

“We wait.  See what John and Kathryn suggests, and we go from there.  Let’s put the ball in their court.”


	14. A Decision

It took some time to get the wheels rolling on the court case.  Amanda and Mr. Gray were in constant contact with both clients, keeping them aware of the proceedings, and anything they found.  Angelo had gone into a slight depression, not wanting to pick up his guitar, not wanting to play with Daphne, not really wanting to do much of anything. 

“Angelo, you need to get up.  You have to do something.”  Regina spoke, almost a month after the trial switch. “I’m really worried about you.”

“I miss Bay.”  He spoke softly, not looking up at her.

“I miss her too, but you need to think about Daphne.”  She spoke. 

“I do, I think about Daphne all the time.  But I miss Bay too.  We should move, after the settlement.  We should move closer to John and Kathryn.”  Regina looked up at him quickly, wide eyed.

“Are you saying you want to give Daphne back to John and Kathryn?”  She asked him softly. 

“I think I do.”  Angelo hung his head.  “I feel like a terrible man, and terrible father.  I feel like I am abandoning my daughter, but if I let them keep Bay, I will feel wrong.”  Regina sat beside him.

“It’s all so confusing.”  She shook her head.  “Because I understand.  I don’t want to leave Bay with them, but I don’t want to feel like I’m giving up on Daphne.  I don’t want her to remember that we gave her up, that we let her go.”

“That is why we move closer to John and Kathryn.  Once the settlement from the hospital comes in, we will buy a house and move so we can stay close to Daphne and a part of her life.”  Angelo offered. 

“Do you think they will go for it?”  She asked.

“All we can do is ask.  Maybe have Mr. Gray and Amanda decide if it would be alright, if it would affect the case at all, and then contact the Kenishes?”  Regina nodded.  Her heart was torn as half was flipping, falling, breaking at the thought of giving Daphne up, and the other was overjoyed, jumping, exploding at the prospect of having her child returned to her arms.

“I will make the call then.”  Angelo kissed Regina on the cheek and stood, taking the phone into the other room to make the call.

 

“All right, thank you Amanda.”  John cradled the receiver in his office, then ran a hand down his face.

“Who was that, John?”  Kathryn stepped in with a fresh cup of coffee and set it on his desk.

“It was Amanda.  Mr. Gray called her.  Angelo and Regina want Bay.”  Kathryn’s jaw dropped.

“You mean, they have decided they want to switch the girls back permanently?”  Her voice almost broke.

“That’s what it sounds like.”  He shrugged.

“So what do we do?”  She asked.

“What can we do?  She is biologically Angelo and Regina’s child.  And Daphne is ours.”  Kathryn shook her head slowly.

“I don’t want to lose Bay, though.”  Kathryn spoke, sitting down on the edge of his desk.

“Amanda says they want to move closer to us, to be close to Daphne.”  John shrugged.

“So why don’t we invite them to rent the guest house?”  Kathryn suggested.  “Then we wouldn’t be losing Bay, we would still have both girls, and so would they.”  John tipped back in his chair, lacing his fingers behind his head. 

“I think that’s a great idea, Kathryn.  We have a meeting with the lawyers next week, why don’t we bring it up then?”  Kathryn gave her husband a smile, leaning over to kiss him softly on the forehead. 

“I’m going to see about dinner.”  She spoke.  She was still having a rough time with the thought of giving Bay away, but at this point, John was right; what could they do?  Regina and Angelo wanted Bay back, and she was their child.  Maybe this would be for the best, and was what they were supposed to do.  Angelo and Regina could move into the guest house until they could afford a better place, and they could be one big happy family, or so she hoped.


	15. Paperwork

Kathryn fought back tears as she sat in Amanda’s office and waited.  Mr. Grey had arranged a meeting between the families to discuss the swap of the girls, any conditions, and set a date.  Kathryn couldn’t stop hold and kissing Bay, knowing that she didn’t have much time left with the child.  John and kept mostly to himself, staying in the office, working on his business proposal for a new branch of his car wash.  Sure, this was something that they had expected, something they had even talked about, but they had no idea that it would hit them so hard.

Regina and Angelo walked through the door with their lawyer, taking a seat on a couch against the wall.  Kathryn tried to smile, though it was like trying to bend metal with her bare hands.  The ebony eyes that reminded her so much of the beautiful toddler at home showed the same emotion that felt inside.  Kathryn was glad to know that she wasn’t the only one feeling this way.

“Thank you all for coming.  I understand a request has been made to switch the girls back to their biological parents.”  Amanda stated, picking up a pen, writing the date on the top of her paper to add to her file.

“Yes.  We would like to have Bay back home with us.”  Angelo spoke, his voice tired, his accent strong.  Kathryn let out a soft sob, and John wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“Mr. Grey and I have spoken at length about this, and we feel that it would be a good idea for the swap to happen in private.  The case is already getting a lot of media attention, so we don’t need to fuel the fire anymore.  The other option, if you want to wait, is to switch the girls and file the paperwork after the case concludes.  Keep in mind however that this can take several years.”  Amanda looked between the two couples, her eyes full of concern, as well as searching for questions from either couple.

“What paperwork?”  John asked, confused.  “I thought it would be a straight swap, and that’s it.”

“There is documentation that we would have to file, returning legal guardianship of the girls to each respective set of parents.  Basically like an adoption.”  Mr. Grey tried to explain the best he could.

“Wouldn’t that get to the media?”  Regina asked.  Amanda nodded.

“It could, but we could also petition to have the files sealed, kept away so that no one, not even the girls, can access them.”  The couples exchanged glances.

“Our only concern is we don’t want to lose Daphne.”  Angelo spoke up, Regina gripping his hand.  “So wouldn’t it have to be like an open adoption?”

“We feel the same way.”  John spoke for his wife who sat at his side trembling.  “And the only compromise we could come up with is to have the three of you move into our guest house.  You could stay there until the trial is over and settlement is received, and we can help you find a nice house in the neighborhood.  We could all work together as a family, and keep in touch with the girls.”

“That is another option.”  Amanda nodded.  “But it is up to you.

“We could help with moving expenses, furniture, anything you would need to make the move more reasonable and easy.”  Kathryn finally chimed in.  Angelo and Regina exchanged looks.

“I think that would be reasonable.”  Angelo nodded and Kathryn clapped.

“Great!  I will start getting preparations made, I will have the guest house cleaned and emptied, ready for you guys to move.”  She borrowed a piece of paper from Amanda and jotted down a number, handing the paper to Regina.  “This is my phone number.  If you need anything, movers, boxes, furniture, don’t hesitate to call me.  I will get everything squared away.”  Regina took the paper and tucked it in her purse, looking back at the lawyers.

“Looks like it’s settled, then.  Amanda and I will draw up the paperwork, and we will call you back in when it is ready to sign.  Thank you all for your time.”  Mr. Grey stood, shaking hands with the men and smiling.  Amanda smiled and stood as well, escorting the group to the door.


	16. Growing Up

It had been two years since Angelo and Regina had moved into the guest house and Bay and Daphne had been switched.  The Hospital had chosen to settle outside of court, had fired the nurse that was on duty causing the switch, and written both families checks for large sums of money.  After a brief adjustment period, the children were thriving, Bay accepting Angelo and Regina as her parents, the same for Daphne.  John and Kathryn had opted to not have the cochlear implant done for Daphne, deciding that it was better to let her live life as God hand intended her to live.

As the girls fifth summer drew a close, and both families thought about school for the girls.  Bay was being sent to a private school, while John and Kathryn searched for schools that catered to deaf and hearing impaired children.  The only one that they could find was in Angelo and Regina’s old area of town, but they figured it would be for the best, as a lot of the schools had voiced concern about the need for interpreters for Daphne and the cost.

The Kennish family had worked hard at picking up Sign language, at the suggestion of Kathryn who had spent hours researching her daughter’s condition.  They had taken classes, which they in turn put into practical use for Daphne to communicate, and she flourished.  Toby even picked it up quickly, taking his sister under his wing to protect her, and acted as though nothing had happened.

Angelo and Regina had insisted on paying rent for the guest house, and even decided to stay, insisting that they felt it was best for the girls.  They had gotten married after the settlement paid out, spending some time on a short honeymoon to France to visit with Angelo’s family, taking Bay with them.  Life was better than they had ever known or imagined it could be.  Regina had taken up a job in a top name salon, and John had given Angelo a management position at one of the car washes in town, taking some of the stress off his own shoulders.  After a day in the office, Angelo would sometimes take his guitar and relax at an open mic night at a local club or bar.

Daphne was excited when the school year started for her and Bay.  It took a bit of explaining for her to understand that she would not be going to school with Bay or Toby, but eventually she was ok with it.  She dressed herself in her favorite frilly pink dress, socks with pink lace around the ankle, and patent leather shoes.  She skipped down the stairs to have breakfast, and Kathryn smiled at her.

“Daphne, you look beautiful.”  She signed, speaking with her hands. 

“Thank you.”  Daphne signed and twirled around, flaring her skirt.

“Did you remember you backpack?”  John asked her from the table as she climbed into her chair.

“It’s already by the door.”  She smiled, her father returning it.  Kathryn served the family breakfast as soon as Toby joined them, and then rushed the trio out the door.

“You have the address for the school, right John?”  Kathryn asked nervously.

“I do, honey.  Don’t worry, everything will be fine!  Enjoy your quiet day.  You won’t have anything to worry about.”  He kissed her cheek and took Daphne by the hand, loading both children into the car and driving away.

 

When he arrived, John was surprised to discover that the school was not an all deaf school, but a regular elementary school with a special needs program.  There were two other deaf children in the program, so the district provided an interpreter.

“Your brochure said you were a school for the deaf and hearing impaired.”  He spoke with the principal, obviously upset.

“I don’t see that anywhere.”  The principal handed John a brochure different from the one they had.  “I don’t know where you got your information, Mr. Kennish, but it’s wrong.”

John shook her head.  “Look, I paid quite the price to put her in a school that specializes in Deaf and hearing impaired children.”

“We have a teacher that does just that.  She teaches in the special education classroom.  There are two other deaf students in the class.  Give her a couple of days, and if you don’t like it, you can pull her out and find a different kindergarten class for her.”  The principal folded his hands on the desktop.  John was left speechless.  He stood, taking Daphne by the hand, and leading her out of the office.  Daphne tugged on her hand.

“What’s the matter, daddy?”  She asked.

“Nothing honey.  Let’s go find your classroom, okay?”  He asked, squatting down to her level and smiling weakly.  The blonde nodded.

 He stood up again, heading to the classroom on her paperwork.  When he opened the door, there were several other students, some in wheelchairs, some drooling in the corner.  Sitting at one table, with two small children, was a young woman, red hair cut in a short bob, a sweet smile on her face.  She looked up as the door was pushed open.

“Hello.”  She spoke, standing and walking to join them.  “I’m Miss Hunt.  This must be-“she signed as she spoke, reassuring John for a moment.

“Daphne.”  The small blonde signed, eyes darting over to a small blonde boy sitting at the table.

“Ah, yes.  I’ve been waiting for you, Daphne.”  She smiled.  “Mr. Kennish, thank you for making sure she made it here safely.  I will take her from here.”

 Miss Hunt nodded, reaching for Daphne’s hand and leading her to the table.  The small blonde turned and waved at her father as he turned and exited the room.

 

John picked the children up after school, and Daphne couldn’t peel her eyes off the little blonde boy sitting on the steps, waiting for a ride.  Every time she said anything about her day at school, she made a sign that neither John or Kathryn recognized.  They would look at each other and shake their heads.  Eventually, during dinner, they stopped her.

“Daphne, what does this mean?”  Kathryn asked, making the sign. 

“Emmett.”  Daphne spelled out slowly, repeating the sign.  “He’s my new friend.  He’s deaf, like me.”  She smiled sweetly.

“Emmett.”  John sat back.  “He must be the little blonde boy in her class.  She couldn’t keep her eyes off him.  He was one of the other 2 kids in the class.”  He shook his head.  “Did you know it’s a special Ed class?”  He dropped his fork on his plate with a loud clink, making Toby jump.

“I will get to see Emmett tomorrow, right?”  Daphne asked, confused.

“Yes honey, you get to see Emmett tomorrow.”  Kathryn signed to her daughter, keeping her eyes on John.  “We are just going to have to wait and see what happens, John.  It’s just kindergarten, how bad can it be?”

 

Daphne came home excited the rest of the week.  She talked about the toys the school had, and Emmett, and what they were doing in class.  John and Kathryn figured they would give her another week at this school, deciding that week by week would be an easier way to test the school then just suddenly pull her out.

Two weeks after classes started, Daphne came home with a tear in the knee of her pants, and tears in her eyes.  When her parents tried to talk to her, she simply locked herself in her bedroom.  She was quiet at dinner, simply pushing her peas around, and when her mother tried to question her, she ignored her, pretending she didn’t see the hand movements.  She asked to be excused, and put herself to bed.

The holes in her clothes got worse, and Daphne grew quieter and quieter at meal time.  Finally they stopped her and asked. 

“Daphne, what’s wrong?”  Kathryn asked.

“People laugh at me.”  Daphne spoke.  She had been attending speech therapy, learning to use her voice and read lips.  “They say I talk like a seal.”

“Who?”  John asked.

“The other kids at school.”  She spoke.  John and Kathryn exchanged looks.

“John, are they making fun of our baby?”  She asked him.  He nodded.  “I am going down to the school, and I am talking to the principal.  And I am pulling Daphne out of that school, and she is never going back.  How can they let kids treat our baby that way?”  Kathryn was close to tears.  Daphne looked between them afraid.

“Don’t take me away from Emmett.  He’s nice.  He’s my friend.  Please!  Please!”  She screamed, the words almost unintelligible.  The tears flowed down her face freely as she sobbed.

“Daphne, calm down honey.”

“But he’s my friend!  I don’t want to lose him!”  She sobbed, not letting her father finish.

“Kathryn, I will go talk to the school tomorrow.  Let me worry about them, and I will see if I can work something out.  Otherwise, we will look for other schools.”  Kathryn nodded, pulling Daphne to her chest, smoothing the strawberry blonde hair, letting the child sob.

 

John was sitting in his car outside the school.  He was watching the children play in the recess yard, smiling as Daphne chased a ball.  She broke away from the group, chasing it out the fence to the sidewalk.  Out of nowhere, a group of boys surrounded her, keeping her from returning to the yard.  He saw them mouth something, and Daphne’s little face screwed up in concentration.

“Please.  Leave.  Me.  Alone.”  Her words were not quite clear, though she tried her hardest.

“Listen to the little seal!  Ort ort ort!”  One of the boys spoke, clapping his hands and laughing.  Daphne tried to push her way through the group of bigger boys.  “What’s wrong, baby?  Do you need to find your mama?”  They teased.

 Daphne dropped the ball, signing quickly, trying to get them to move.  Her face was screwed up tightly, signing furiously, her hands like a desperate bird.  John moved to get out of the car when the little blond haired boy stepped around the group and let out a loud scream.

The group stopped, jumping and spinning around.  Emmett stood, fists balled up, face screwed up in anger.  He was glaring at the trio, ready to take every one of them on if they made a move.

“Come on guys, let’s go.  Leave the baby to her boyfriend.” One spoke, and they moved back into the yard. 

Wordlessly, soundlessly, he walked over to where she was balled up on the ground, sobbing.  He placed a hand on her shoulder, grabbing her attention.  Her face was dirty and tear stained, and she blinked up at him.

“Are you alright?”  He signed.  Daphne nodded.  “They didn’t hurt you?”  She shook her head.  “Come on.”  He took her hand, helping her up off the ground.  He grabbed the ball, handing it back to her, and helped her into the yard. 

John started the car.  He smiled at the little blonde boy’s back as his daughter moved back into the recess yard, and drove away.


	17. Friends?

“Bay has an incredible talent.”  The third grade art teacher spoke with a smile.  “I want to enter these pieces in the local art show.”  Angelo and Regina sat speechless.  Eight year old Bay smiled, swinging her feet under the chair.

“I think you should put her in the after school art class.  It’s extra, but I think it will be worth it.”  She smiled, pulling a stapled packet of papers from her desk drawer.  “Here is the information and the registration forms.  Class starts next week.”

Bay hopped down out of the chair as her father stood up, papers in hand.  She reached up, placing her small hand in his fingers and smiled up at him.  Angelo couldn’t help but smile back.  The Spanish music they had both grown to love while in France played through the speakers in the car as they headed home, Bay tugging restlessly at the collar to her uniform shirt.

“This shirt itches, daddy.”  She spoke, looking up at him.

“I’m sorry honey.  I will have your mother look into a different fabric softener.”  He patted her leg, smiling down at her.

Angelo was surprised at himself over the last five years.  He had been withdrawn, thinking about leaving when Daphne lived with them.  He was convinced that Regina had cheated on him while they were together, and had gotten pregnant with another man’s child.  Now, five years later, he was married to the same woman, a millionaire, and had a beautiful raven-haired child with a budding artistic talent, and he couldn’t be prouder. 

 

Regina sat outside the school in her car.  It was Friday night, and Bay was having a friend over after school let out for a sleepover.  She heard the bell ring and it caused her to jump.  Their life had become so happy, so regular since switching the girls back, the whole ordeal had become like a bad dream.  Where they were living now was so much nicer then where Daphne had been taken home, and they had Bay.  The girl was a wonderful artist, prompting private lessons and thousands of dollars into a renovation of their home that shared a lot with John and Kathryn, and hundreds more in art supplies, providing Bay with her own private studio in which to work.

Kids poured from the school like water.  Boys and girls teasing and running with each other as they left the building, heading for busses and waiting parents, bike racks, or walking down the street.  Bay, hair pulled back into a long ponytail, came out of the building, trailed by a beautiful young lady with hair just lighter than her own.  Bay smiled, waving to her mother when she spotted the car, taking her friend by the hand and running to slide into the back seat.

“How was school honey?”  Regina asked, looking at the pair in the mirror.

“Fine.”  Bay spoke quickly, then turned to giggle at her friend.

“Simone, it’s good to see you again.”  The smaller girl nodded, pulling a piece of paper out of her pocket and showing it to Bay.  Regina pulled away and headed home, stopping for a take and bake pizza on the way.

Daphne was sitting on the patio, sipping lemonade and working on homework when Regina pulled up.  She looked up as she saw the movement from the car, smiling.  She stood, walking to the car and greeting Bay.

“Hi.”  Bay smiled. 

“Hi Daphne, you remember Simone?”  She asked.  Simone looked Daphne over slowly. 

“I do.  Hi, Simone.” The blonde spoke with a sweet smile. 

“Bay, can we go inside now?”  Simone looked towards the house. 

“Do we want to have Daphne come in and eat with us?”  Bay asked, looking at Daphne who brightened slightly and gave a little bounce on the balls of her feet.  Simone leaned in and whispered into  Bay’s ear, covering her mouth.

“I would prefer not.  She makes me uncomfortable.”  Bay looked back confused.  “I don’t like have to talk so slow and wait for her to catch up.  Can’t her parents do something about her ears?”  Simone whispered, glancing at Daphne, who’s smile had faded. 

Bay looked over at Daphne, who seemed to know that she wasn’t invited.  Her shoulders drooped, and she toed the ground.  Simone tugged on Bay’s arm and nodded towards her door.  Bay gave Daphne an apologetic hand squeeze and bounded off towards the house.  Bay flopped onto her bed when they were safely in her room, looking at Simone curiously.

“Why do you have a problem with Daphne?”  She asked, kicking off her shoes.

“She talks funny.”  Simone spoke, slipping off her shoes and setting them with her overnight bag.

“She’s deaf.”  Bay spoke, as if it wasn’t a big deal.  Of course it wasn’t to her, she grew up with Daphne, knowing that she was deaf, and had supported her in every move she had made to get to this point.

“So?  Doesn’t she know sign language or something?”  Simone asked.

“Sure she does.”  Bay reached for her brush.  “She just knows that not everyone will understand it and wants to be able to communicate on her own, without help.  I think it’s cool.”

“But she talks funny.”  Simone emphasized.

“That’s not very nice.”  Bay spoke, pulling her hair up into a ponytail. 

“Why are you so protective of her?”

“She is my cousin, but she is more like a sister.  I love her just the way she is.”  Bay spoke defensively.  “You should be nicer to her.”

“I just don’t want her around when I’m around.”  Simone shrugged.  “It’s not like she lives here or anything.  We can avoid her.”  She stood back up, sweeping her hair back over her shoulder.  “I’m going to go get a soda.  You want one?”  Simone asked, pulling the door open.  Bay shook her head.  “Okay.  I’ll be right back.” 

She bounded off down the stairs, and Bay chewed on her lip as she watched her friend disappear down the stairs.  Simone was so mean to Daphne, and Bay just didn’t understand.  How could she get Simone to be nicer to Daphne, or would she ever understand? 


	18. Surprise Party

“Bay has an incredible talent.”  The third grade art teacher spoke with a smile.  “I want to enter these pieces in the local art show.”  Angelo and Regina sat speechless.  Eight year old Bay smiled, swinging her feet under the chair.

“I think you should put her in the after school art class.  It’s extra, but I think it will be worth it.”  She smiled, pulling a stapled packet of papers from her desk drawer.  “Here is the information and the registration forms.  Class starts next week.”

Bay hopped down out of the chair as her father stood up, papers in hand.  She reached up, placing her small hand in his fingers and smiled up at him.  Angelo couldn’t help but smile back.  The Spanish music they had both grown to love while in France played through the speakers in the car as they headed home, Bay tugging restlessly at the collar to her uniform shirt.

“This shirt itches, daddy.”  She spoke, looking up at him.

“I’m sorry honey.  I will have your mother look into a different fabric softener.”  He patted her leg, smiling down at her.

Angelo was surprised at himself over the last five years.  He had been withdrawn, thinking about leaving when Daphne lived with them.  He was convinced that Regina had cheated on him while they were together, and had gotten pregnant with another man’s child.  Now, five years later, he was married to the same woman, a millionaire, and had a beautiful raven-haired child with a budding artistic talent, and he couldn’t be prouder. 

 

Regina sat outside the school in her car.  It was Friday night, and Bay was having a friend over after school let out for a sleepover.  She heard the bell ring and it caused her to jump.  Their life had become so happy, so regular since switching the girls back, the whole ordeal had become like a bad dream.  Where they were living now was so much nicer then where Daphne had been taken home, and they had Bay.  The girl was a wonderful artist, prompting private lessons and thousands of dollars into a renovation of their home that shared a lot with John and Kathryn, and hundreds more in art supplies, providing Bay with her own private studio in which to work.

Kids poured from the school like water.  Boys and girls teasing and running with each other as they left the building, heading for busses and waiting parents, bike racks, or walking down the street.  Bay, hair pulled back into a long ponytail, came out of the building, trailed by a beautiful young lady with hair just lighter than her own.  Bay smiled, waving to her mother when she spotted the car, taking her friend by the hand and running to slide into the back seat.

“How was school honey?”  Regina asked, looking at the pair in the mirror.

“Fine.”  Bay spoke quickly, then turned to giggle at her friend.

“Simone, it’s good to see you again.”  The smaller girl nodded, pulling a piece of paper out of her pocket and showing it to Bay.  Regina pulled away and headed home, stopping for a take and bake pizza on the way.

Daphne was sitting on the patio, sipping lemonade and working on homework when Regina pulled up.  She looked up as she saw the movement from the car, smiling.  She stood, walking to the car and greeting Bay.

“Hi.”  Bay smiled. 

“Hi Daphne, you remember Simone?”  She asked.  Simone looked Daphne over slowly. 

“I do.  Hi, Simone.” The blonde spoke with a sweet smile. 

“Bay, can we go inside now?”  Simone looked towards the house. 

“Do we want to have Daphne come in and eat with us?”  Bay asked, looking at Daphne who brightened slightly and gave a little bounce on the balls of her feet.  Simone leaned in and whispered into  Bay’s ear, covering her mouth.

“I would prefer not.  She makes me uncomfortable.”  Bay looked back confused.  “I don’t like have to talk so slow and wait for her to catch up.  Can’t her parents do something about her ears?”  Simone whispered, glancing at Daphne, who’s smile had faded. 

Bay looked over at Daphne, who seemed to know that she wasn’t invited.  Her shoulders drooped, and she toed the ground.  Simone tugged on Bay’s arm and nodded towards her door.  Bay gave Daphne an apologetic hand squeeze and bounded off towards the house.  Bay flopped onto her bed when they were safely in her room, looking at Simone curiously.

“Why do you have a problem with Daphne?”  She asked, kicking off her shoes.

“She talks funny.”  Simone spoke, slipping off her shoes and setting them with her overnight bag.

“She’s deaf.”  Bay spoke, as if it wasn’t a big deal.  Of course it wasn’t to her, she grew up with Daphne, knowing that she was deaf, and had supported her in every move she had made to get to this point.

“So?  Doesn’t she know sign language or something?”  Simone asked.

“Sure she does.”  Bay reached for her brush.  “She just knows that not everyone will understand it and wants to be able to communicate on her own, without help.  I think it’s cool.”

“But she talks funny.”  Simone emphasized.

“That’s not very nice.”  Bay spoke, pulling her hair up into a ponytail. 

“Why are you so protective of her?”

“She is my cousin, but she is more like a sister.  I love her just the way she is.”  Bay spoke defensively.  “You should be nicer to her.”

“I just don’t want her around when I’m around.”  Simone shrugged.  “It’s not like she lives here or anything.  We can avoid her.”  She stood back up, sweeping her hair back over her shoulder.  “I’m going to go get a soda.  You want one?”  Simone asked, pulling the door open.  Bay shook her head.  “Okay.  I’ll be right back.” 

She bounded off down the stairs, and Bay chewed on her lip as she watched her friend disappear down the stairs.  Simone was so mean to Daphne, and Bay just didn’t understand.  How could she get Simone to be nicer to Daphne, or would she ever understand? 


	19. Sixteen

“Hey Daphne.”  Toby leaned against his sister’s doorway, catching her attention as she sat on her bed, laptop keys clicking away on a paper.

               “Hey, Toby.  What’s up?”  She asked, setting her computer aside.

               “Oh, nothing.”  He smiled, stepping into the room, sitting on her bed.  “I just had a question.”  Daphne looked at him, a touch confused as he continued to smile at her.

               “Whatever it is, I am not borrowing you any more money.”  She spoke, looking at him skeptically.

               “I am not looking to borrow money this time, I promise.”  Daphne was the only one in the family that knew about his gambling, and thankfully she was willing to help keep him out of trouble, paying off smaller debts that he accrued.

               “That’s good.  What do you need then?”  She asked, shifting on the bed.

               “Well, I have this friend, and he, well, he has thing for my other friend’s sister.  They wanted me to find out from you, if you think it would be awkward to be set up on a date with your brother’s friend.”  He finished, picking at a piece of lint on his pant leg.

               “Does one of your friends have a thing for me?”  Daphne spoke, a little surprised.  Toby nodded.  “Who?”  She asked quickly.

               “It doesn’t matter right now.”  Toby spoke.  “He just wants to know if having me set you up with him would be weird.”

               “It would all depend on which friend it was.”  Her response as quick as his.

               “Just yes or no, Daphne.”  She shook her head. 

               “Fine I guess.  But if it is horrible and awful, I am going to start charging interest on what you owe me.”  Toby clapped and jumped up.

               “Great.  I will get it set up and give you a time and date.”  He jogged out of her room as she shook her head, not really sure what she had just agreed to.

               Daphne was finishing up her sophomore year in high school, writing her final paper for history class.  Now that Toby was out of the room, she couldn’t concentrate.  Which one of his friends wanted to go out with her?  Why couldn’t he come to her himself?  She shook her head, looking back over her paper, trying to get her head back around what she was doing.  Daphne looked up just as her mother walked into her room.

               “Hi honey.”  Kathryn smiled sweetly.  “You have been up here a long time, thought maybe you could us a little snack.”  Daphne sat up again, taking the offered salsa, chips and bottle of water.

               “Thanks, mom.”  Daphne set the water on her end table after taking a drink.

               “What are you working on?”  Kathryn picked up her daughter’s computer and read over the words on the screen.  “This is good.  Is it for history?”  Daphne nodded.

               “Yea.  If I get a good enough grade on this paper, I won’t have to take history next year, and maybe have time for that internship we talked about.”  Kathryn nodded.

               Daphne loved to cook.  She spent a lot of time in the kitchen, cooking and baking, experimenting with different recipes.  Her best friend Toby sitting at the breakfast bar to support, laugh at, and taste test everything she made.  Kathryn had friends all over town, and one of the girls from her book club had showed Kathryn a flier from one of their favorite restaurants, looking for a young intern.  John and Kathryn had decided it would be a great opportunity for Daphne, if only she had the time.

               “I already sent in your application.”  Kathryn smiled at her daughter.  “Your father and I discussed it, and we think it would be a wonderful idea.  Even if you have to go in afterschool.”  Daphne squealed, clapping and lunged forward at her mother, wrapping her up into a big hug.

               “Thank you so much, mom!  This-this is so exciting!”  Kathryn couldn’t help but laugh. 

               “I already talked to the school.  They gave me some information for a couple of culinary arts schools.  Your dad called, and this internship would count as credit towards a degree, if that’s what you want.”  Daphne wiggled like a small child.

               “It’s exactly what I want!  Oh mom!  I can’t believe this is happening!”  Kathryn could only smile.

               She had Regina to thank for this.  If Regina hadn’t said anything when she found out that Daphne wasn’t biologically hers, she would never have met this amazing young woman sitting beside her.  She looked around the room.  Daphne was a miracle.  She had brought so much into her and John’s lives, and they couldn’t be happier.  Looking at the teen now, it was like none of it had ever happened.  They had their family; their children together, wonderful friends in Angelo and Regina, and watching Bay grow up had been such a joy.

               Kathryn sighed.  “Are you busy?  I mean, is your paper something that can be set aside for a few minutes?”  Daphne blinked. 

               “Uhm, sure.  It’s not dinner time yet, is everything okay?”  Kathryn nodded quickly, standing and offering her hand to Daphne.

               “Sure, sure.  It’s fine.  Just, come with me.”  She tugged playfully at her daughter’s hand, leading her out of the room and down the stairs to her father’s office.

               “There she is.”  John smiled hugely at the pair as they entered. 

               “I told her about the internship.”  Kathryn smiled as she moved around behind the desk to stand with her husband.  “You can tell her about the other.”

               “The other?”  Daphne asked, sitting in a chair across her dad’s desk. 

               “Well, your sixteenth birthday is coming up.  That’s a big day for you, and for us.”  John smiled at her.  Daphne looked confused.  “We know you have been taking Driver’s Ed over at Carlton, and we figure, at the end of this semester, you will have your driver’s license.”  Daphne started to get antsy.

               “Oh just tell her John.”  Kathryn slapped his arm playfully and he shook his head and smiled.

               “Here.”  John tossed a key ring over the desk, which Daphne caught.  Opening her hand to look at it, she saw a silver heart keychain with her name on it, a keyless entry FOB, and a single key.

               “What is this?”  She asked.  Daphne didn’t recognize the key as belonging to either of their cars.

               “Why don’t you go outside and find out.”  Kathryn urged, looking towards the door.  Daphne stood, heading for the outside door through the kitchen.  Stepping out, she came face to face with a blue Chrysler 300, top down.

               “What is this?”  Daphne pointed to the car, slack jawed, looking over at her parents.

               “We can’t have our baby girl with a license and no wheels.”  Kathryn spoke, her excitement flowing through her voice.

               “This- wow!  This is more then I really need.  Are you sure-?”  Daphne couldn’t finish her sentence.

               “Nothing but the best for you.”  John spoke, wrapping Daphne up into a hug.  The teen was speechless.

               “You didn’t get Toby anything this nice for his birthday.”  She attempted in protest.

               “Because he knew what he wanted.  We asked you what you wanted, remember?”  John pointed out.  “You told us you didn’t want a car.” 

               “We couldn’t have that.”  Kathryn smiled.  “So we picked something sensible, something safe, something cool.  And this is what your father found.  Happy early birthday!”  Kathryn joined in the hug. 

               Pulling away finally, John nodded towards the car.  “Go check it out!”  He laughed, nudging Daphne towards the car, wrapping his arm around his wife.  They smiled as their daughter ran her hand along the car’s body, coming to pull the door open and slipped behind the wheel. 

               “This is really too much.”  She shook her head, still in shock.  First the internship, now a car.  “You guys should take it back and get something- something smaller, something- less convertible.”  She blinked, acting as though she was in shock.

               “Do you not like it?”  Kathryn asked, concerned.

               “No, no I like it.  It’s amazing, beautiful and I love it.  It’s just- wow!”  She smiled.

               “You wanna take it for a spin?”  John asked, slipping into the passenger seat.

               “Really?”  Daphne smiled, her father nodded.

               “So long as you have your permit.”  Daphne grinned, and her mother handed her her clutch. 

               “I figured you would need that.”  She smiled, and Daphne took it, signing thank you and keying the car to life.  She giggled and clapped as the engine rumbled to life and vibrated under her, and he reached for her seatbelt, buckling it.  She shifted into gear, and with a second smile at her mother, she pulled out of the long drive and down the road.

 


	20. Hammer Girl

Bay laid out across her bed on her stomach, sketchbook in hand.  Her ear buds were pressed tightly in her ears, the faint sound of music issuing into the room around her.  She continued to sketch.  Her room was filled with pictures of people and things she had drawn over the years.  She continued to take private art lessons after her third grade teacher had made the recommendation.  The teachers at Buckner Hall had all wanted her to enter into art shows and competitions all over the country, and Bay had refused. 

               Angelo knocked on the door, and Bay turned her head.  He smiled, stepping in and sitting on the bed beside her, looking at her work over her shoulder.

               “That is beautiful, Bay.”  He smiled.  Daphne pulled one of the plugs from  her ear.

               “Thanks.  It’s for mom for her station at work.”  She sat up.  “Do you think she will like it?”

               “Of course, Bay.  She sees so much of her own artistic talent in you, it just makes her heart fly.”  Angelo smiled at her.  “You know she is so proud of you.  And so am I.”   He hugged her around the shoulders.

               “Thanks, Dad.”  She set the pad aside and looked at him.  “I’m almost done with my driver’s education calls.”  She spoke.

               “I know.”  His accent accentuated by his smile.

               “I found a car that I want.”  She spoke, a slightly hopeful tone in her voice.

               “Oh really?”  He asked, and Bay nodded.   “Tell me about it.”

               “Well, it’s at this used car dealership downtown.  Liam took me to see it.”  She spoke.  “It’s the most awesome thing I’ve seen in a while dad.  You have to check it out.”

               “Why don’t we go now?”  He asked, standing.

               “Really?”  He nodded, and Bay slipped into her heeled sandals.  She smiled at Angelo as he took her head and lead her down to his car, and she directed him to the dealership.

              

               “Welcome, welcome!”  A round man walked out of the office wearing a bad plaid suit, greeting the pair as they stepped out of Angelo’s car.  “This is a beautiful machine you have here sir, are you looking to trade it in?”  He spoke, running a hand over the hood of Angelo’s Audi A6.

               “No, actually my daughter wanted to look at a car.”  He spoke, turning to Bay.  “Tell him which one.”

               “I was wanting to look at that Thing that you had last week.”  She bounced on the balls of her feet.

               “The Thing?”  The round man scratched his chin.  “Oh!  That old Volkswagen?”  Bay nodded.  “Well I’m sorry, little lady.  Someone came and bought it earlier this week.  Angelo could see Bay’s heart breaking. 

               “Are you sure?”  Angelo asked, and the man nodded. 

               “I have a nice little Beetle over here for sale, it’s pink.”  He smiled, point in the direction he wanted to move.  Angelo looked down at his daughter’s face.

               “No thank you.”  He wrapped his arm around her shoulder.  “Come on, Bay.  Let’s go home.  We will look for another one.”

               “They are so rare.  And it was just here.”  She almost whimpered.

               “It’s alright, Bay.”  Angelo kissed the top of her head.  “Even if we don’t find you one now, we will find one.”  He spoke sweetly.  “Let’s go home.”

               Bay climbed into her father’s car, shoulders slumped as he drove her home.  She had had her heart set on that car, and now there was no way she was going to get it.  Simone was waiting for her when they pulled up, following her friend up to her room.

               “So??”  She questioned excitedly.

               “So what?” Bay flopped onto her bed.

               “Did you get the car?” Simone danced excitedly.

               “Not by a long shot.  It was gone when we got there.  I guess I’m going to get another sedan, just like everyone else.”  She picked up a paintbrush and threw it across the room.  “I knew I should have put the deposit on it when we were there last week.”  Simone sat on the bed. 

               “What’s so wrong with a normal sedan?”  She asked, picking up a notebook and thumbing through it.

               “It’s not me, Simone.  I’m not like everyone else.  I’m different.  I’m unique.  I’m a classic.”  Simone couldn’t help but laugh. 

               “Maybe you can find something else just as unique.”  Simone suggested, stopping on a particular drawing.  “I really like this one.  Can you make this bigger?  Like blow it up?”

               Bay looked over her friend’s shoulder.  “Yea, I suppose I could, why?”  Simone grinned.

               “Just do it.  Make it a stencil of it, about three feet tall.”  She smiled.  “I have plan.”  Simone stood, laying down the notebook.  “I gotta go.  See you later.”  She waved from the door.  “Have it done by Saturday.”

               Bay looked at the picture again, thinking.  She took the notebook down to her art studio, pulling out tag board and preparing for the project, though she had no idea what she was in for.

 

               “This is so awesome.”  Bay and Simone stood in the light of the camping lantern.  “Hammer girl looks so great!”  Bay clapped her hands, starting to put her spray paint back in her back pack. 

               “You can do so much better.”  Simone joined her in clean up, taking up the stencil and tossing it into the back of her car.  “Think about it.  Hammer girls all over the town.  Make a point, take a stand!” 

               “A stand about what?”  Bay looked at her curiously.

               “I don’t know.  Anything.”  Simone chuckled.  “Make your mark on the world!”  Bay shook her head and laughed. 

               “I’m glad you talked me into this.”  Bay hugged Simone.  “Why didn’t you do it yourself?”  She asked.

               “Because I’m not as good at art as you are, duh.”  Bay turned the knob on the lantern and put out the light. 

               “Let’s go back to my house.  Dad made some apple cobbler.”  Bay slipped into the passenger seat of Simone’s car, and when the headlights flicked on, she took one last look at what she hoped was the first of many hammer girls to be panted around town.


	21. Dinner

Daphne paced across her room, stopping for a moment now and then to look at herself in the mirror.  She was dressed in a shimmery red dress, hair thrown back with a few playful tendrils framing her face, makeup subtle and shimmery to match her dress.  Her heels clicked on the floor as she nervously paced and played with her nails, though she had to remind herself subtly to not ruin her polish.  The lamp in her room flashed as the doorbell chimed through the house.  Daphne stopped in her tracks, turning towards the door.

               What was she doing?  Sure, her brother had some cute friends, but most of them had the same gambling issues that Toby did.  She didn’t really need any help finding a guy, she could have any guy she wanted at Carlton, or even at Buckner for that matter.  Not that she had had a boyfriend in her life since elementary school, but what did that matter?  She had been having too much fun with Emmett and all of her other friends, so much so that she had almost failed her freshman year. 

               The door moved.  Toby stuck his head through the door and waved.  “Wow Daphne, you look great.”  He smiled at her, stepping into her room.

               “Really?  You don’t think I’m over dressed?”  She spread her arms, and looked down at herself.  Toby smiled. 

               “Daphne, you look great.”  He stepped towards her, fixing a stray hair.  “You look nervous.”  She looked up at her brother, chewing on her lip. 

               “I am.”  She admitted, her hands shaking.  Toby took his sister by the hand and pulled her into a hug.

               “Don’t be worried.  Don’t be nervous.”  Daphne couldn’t help but look away.  “He won’t hurt you, Daphne, or I will kill him for you.” 

               “I’m not afraid of that.”  She smiled.  “I’m nervous because, well, I haven’t been on a date in, like, forever, and I don’t even know who is downstairs waiting for me.”  Toby held her out at arms length and quirked an eyebrow at her. 

               “You will be pleasantly surprised, I’m sure.”  He spoke, running his hand down her arm and taking her fingers.  “Now, lets not keep him waiting.”  Daphne stumbled slightly as Toby pulled her to the door and down the stairs.

               The male from downstairs was definitely dressed to the point that Daphne no longer felt overdressed.  His form was draped in suit pants and a jacket, and Daphne wouldn’t be surprised to see him wearing a tie.  The blonde hair on the top of his head was neatly styled and combed back, just the right amount of gel holding everything in place.  She blinked a couple times and took a deep breath as he turned around.  Daphne watched from the shine on his shoes, up the tailored leg of his pants, along his long torso, tailored dress shirt, and red tie.  He stopped moving, and Daphne stopped at his eyes.

               “Wilke?”  She spoke, and he smiled, offering her a bouquet of flowers with an outstretched hand.

               “You’re surprised?”  He asked.  Toby clapped his friend on the back, smiling. 

               “Have fun you two.”  Toby looked at Daphne, and moved to leave the room.  “Have her home by ten, Wilke, or I will kill you.”  He turned to his sister.  “Text me if you need anything.”  Toby walked away before Daphne could respond.

               “You look great.”  Wilke spoke, Daphne trying hard to catch his mouth as he talked. 

               “Slow down, slow down!  I can’t understand you when you talk that fast.”  She laughed.  “I have to read your lips.” 

               Wilke gave a chuckle and blushed slightly.  “Sorry.  I forget that you are deaf.”  He held out his arm to her.  “Shall we go?  We have reservations.”  Daphne took his elbow and allowed him to lead him out of the house towards his car.  Maybe if she had known it was Wilke, she wouldn’t have put so much effort into how she looked, and maybe she would have even blown him off.

 

               “Wow, this place is amazing!”  Daphne spoke as she and Wilke were seated at a table in the back corner.  “How is it that- Nevermind.  I won’t ask.”  She gave a chuckle and Wilke smiled back at her.

               “This is one of my parent’s favorite places.”  He spoke, handing the wine glasses to the waitress, and placing an order for soft drinks for the two of them.  “I hope you don’t mind…”  He motioned to the waitress. 

               “Oh, no that’s fine.”  Daphne smiled, smoothing her napkin over her lap.  “I never know what to order in these places.  My dad usually picks.”  She shook her head.  “Not that you really want to hear about that.”  Daphne blushed and looked down at her fingers. 

               “No, no it’s fine.”  Wilke spoke, and she looked up at him quickly after he placed his hand over hers.  “I want to know all about you, Daphne.”  He smiled. “I’ve learned some from Toby, but not quite enough.” 

               “Oh really now?”  She quirked her eyebrow.  “What all has Toby told you about me?”

               “Well, I know you like designer shoes, no shorter than four inches on the heel.  You like men in Armani suits, you like Vera Wang for your handbags and casual wear, Tony Bowels evening gowns, and if your clothes aren’t designer, they are nothing less than name brand.”  Daphne giggled. 

               “So you know all about what I like to wear, but what about me?” 

               “Well,” Wilke continued.  “You like to cook, and you make killer brownies.  You want to be a chief, to own your own restaurant, and your father wants you to go to law school or business school.” 

               “Yea.  He wants me to do something that I will be remembered for.  First deaf supreme court judge or something like that.”  Daphne shook her head.

               “But you don’t want to.  You just want to cook.”  Daphne nodded.  “Well, I support you in whatever decision you make.”  Wilke flashed her that charming smile, and Daphne felt her cheeks go red.  The waitress returned and took their order, and Daphne watched her walk away.

               “You still hardly know me.  Why would you ask Toby to set you up with me?”  Daphne asked, truly wanting to know.  “I don’t go to Buckner, I go to public school.  You could have any girl you want, yet you picked me, your best friend’s sister of all people.”  She set her drink back on the table after taking a sip.

               “I want to get to know you.”  Wilke smiled.  “And I hope that this date is the first of many.  I don’t care where you go to school.  You are unique and beautiful, and interesting, and I want to be with you.”  Daphne coughed, choking on a piece of ice from her drink.

               “Excuse me?”  She spoke, pulling her napkin away from her lips. 

               “I want to be with you, Daphne.  I want you to be my girl.  I wasn’t planning on asking you this early in the date, though.  Maybe after I dropped you off, to see how the night played out.”  The blonde shook her head.  “But you pushed me.”  He put his hands up, shoulder level.  “So what do you think?”

               “Let’s just see how the night plays out?”  Daphne giggled, giving that smile that crinkled her nose.  Wilke nodded.  The pair sat in silence while they waited for the appetizer to arrive. 

               A string quartet took their place on a small stage, picking up their instruments and tuning to a violin note.  With a silent count off, they started to play, and Wilke placed his hand over Daphne’s, causing her to look up.  “Dance with me.”  He spoke and stood, the words more of a statement then a question.  Daphne rose, setting her napkin aside and bit her lip as Wilke took her out onto the dance floor.  Twirling her once, he pulled her to him, placing one hand on her waist and starting to slowly move to the music. 

               “I don’t know if this is such a good idea.  I can’t hear the music.”  Daphne blushed, glancing at the quartet.

               “Don’t worry.  Just let me lead.”  The blonde smiled at her, and began to waltz, leading her around the dance floor.

               They arrived back at their table as the waitress returned with their appetizer.  Wilke pulled out Daphne’s chair for her as she sat down, returning to his own. 

               “Now that wasn’t so bad was it?”  He smiled, placing his napkin on his lap as she did her own.

               “No.  You are a wonderful dancer.”  She complimented, still blushing.  Wilke placed a couple small items onto her plate, handing it over the main tray to her.  “Oh yum!  These are my favorite.” 

               “I know.”  Wilke smiled.  “Toby told me that too.”  Daphne quirked an eyebrow at him.

               “So there’s so much you already know.  What don’t you know?  What didn’t my brother tell you?”  She asked.

               “Pleanty.  Like what color panties you wear.”  Daphne choked on a small bite. 

               “Excuse me?”  Wilke laughed. 

               “I’m kidding!” He teased.  “Though some day I would love to find out.”


	22. No Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the most recent I have. Keep in mind I do not own the show or the characters, simply the story is my own words.
> 
> This chapter is going to come with a warning. This chapter deals (Slightly) with rape. I'm sure the theme will come up more as the story continues.

               “Dinner was great Wilke, thank you.”  She smiled.  He keyed the ignition off, parking on a bluff that overlooked the city.  “Wow.  This is beautiful.”  Daphne looked out over the twinkling lights of the city, then back over to Wilke.

               “Not as beautiful as you are.”  He spoke, reaching over to tuck a loose lock of hair behind her ear.  “I’m really glad that you agreed to come out with me tonight.”  He admitted.  “I was afraid that you would say no.”

               “Honestly, had I know it was you that wanted to go on a date with me, I would have said no.  Never been one on dating my brother’s friends.”  Wilke unbuckled his seatbelt, scooting to one side and wrapping his arm around Daphne’s shoulder. 

               “I’m glad he didn’t tell you then.”  He smiled, leaning in and pressing his lips gently to her neck.

               “Wh-what are you doing?”  Daphne asked softly, feeling the gentle touch of his lips.

               “Just enjoying the beauty beside me.”  He spoke, though Daphne didn’t hear him.  He pressed his lips to her neck again and again, moving down to her shoulder, along the bare skin showing there. 

               “Wilke, I-“  She whimpered softly, not able to finish a complete statement, and knowing that whatever he would say, she wouldn’t hear it.  He pulled back from her, looking her in the eye. 

               “I can’t stop myself, Daphne.”  She blinked at him.  “I have to touch you.  I have to see more of you.”  Daphne was panting by this point, her heart racing, trembling slightly.  All she could do was nod.  “Let’s move to the back seat.”  He spoke, helping her unbuckle and slide into the back, where he wrapped his arms around her, pressing his lips to hers as he reached around and unfastened her dress, slipping it down her body.

               Daphne closed her eyes.  The feel of his kiss and his touch along her body was intoxicating and she laid her head back as he kissed down her neck again.  “Wilke, I-“  She whispered softly, and he placed a finger over her mouth.

               Her eyes flew open as she felt something press between her legs, and her soft cry was silenced by his mouth pressing against hers once again.

 

               “So?  How did it go?” Emmett signed.  Daphne had been awful quiet since her date, and he was dying to know.

               “I don’t want to talk about it.”  She waved him off quickly.  He frowned back at her concerned.  She had already looked away, back down to fiddling with her salad, simply pushing it around on her plate.  The blond had a lot on her mind, and didn’t know how to work it out.  She hadn’t even talked to Toby about it, no matter how he had pushed.  How could she tell him she had lost her virginity in the back seat of Wilke’s car?

               “Are you okay?”  Emmett got her attention again.  “Daphne talk to me.  Please.”  He implored her, his eyes full of concern. 

               Daphne shook her head.  “No.  I’m not okay.”  She sighed deep.  “I think,” Her hands started to tremble.  “I think I was raped.” 

               “You think?  Or you know?”  Emmett questioned quickly.  “Either you were raped or you weren’t.  What happened?”  Daphne related the tale, including the fact that she felt that he kept his lips hidden from her as he talked on purpose.  She hadn’t known what he was doing, what his intentions were until it was too late. 

               “So did you say no?”  He asked once she had finished.  She set her fork down beside her plate.

               “Not exactly, but I didn’t say yes either.  I feel so dirty, so used.”  Daphne dropped her eyes.  Emmett placed his hand on her shoulder.

               “Daphne you need to tell someone.  Your parents, the police.”  She shook her head.

               “I couldn’t do that.”  Her eyes were full of fear.  “That would cause nothing but trouble for Wilke, and Toby would hate me.”  Emmett shook his head slowly.

               “Yes, but do you want him to do it again?  To another girl?  Because you know he will, unless someone stops him.”  Daphne sighed. 

               “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”  She gathered her tray, her lunch hardly touched, and headed for the trash cans.  Emmett watched her go, his mind racing.  If she wouldn’t tell someone, maybe he should.


End file.
